Expanded Training for the Growing Cannabis Industry

The cannabis industry has exploded in Oklahoma, ranking ninth in the country for the number of jobs in the cannabis industry, according to a 2021 jobs report by Leafly, a cannabis investor group. That same report shows the industry employs more than 16,000 residents, which is more cannabis workers than construction workers.

To help keep pace with the industry and the need for skilled employees, Tulsa Community College, in partnership with Green Flower, is now offering specialized training.

Through TCC Continuing Education, individuals can complete three job specific certificate programs – Dispensary Associate, Cultivation Technician, and Manufacturing Agent. Each certificate is offered in an eight-week non-credit course for $750. The program is offered with an online, on-demand schedule, which means the individual can complete the coursework at a time that is convenient to them and at their own pace.

“With unprecedented growth in this industry, there is a need to develop a workforce with cannabis specific skills. TCC has joined forces with Green Flower to deliver this highly specialized content virtually,” says Pete Selden, vice president for Workforce Development at TCC. “Because these programs are available on demand, it means an individual has tremendous flexibility for when they do the coursework.”

TCC is the first and only college in Oklahoma to offer this type of training through its partnership with Green Flower, a leader in cannabis training and education. The three certificates provide on-demand training created specifically for cannabis professionals.

“We applaud TCC’s commitment to helping working adults advance and train for new careers and their vision to help students enter and excel in the legal cannabis industry,” says Daniel Kalef, vice president of education at Green Flower. “Like other highly regulated industries, the need to have expertise in material handling, quality control, patient care, security, transportation, horticulture and more is vital to the success of all aspects of the industry and all things people will learn in these courses.”

The Manufacturing Agent Certificate examines the business of cannabis extraction as you learn how to transform plant materials into the extracts consumers love, such as topicals, edibles, concentrates and formulated products. The Cultivation Technician Certificate is designed for individuals to understand and master growing practices from start to finish and deliver high-quality plant products in any growing condition. The Dispensary Associate Certificate focuses on driving higher-quality retail experiences and delivering positive patient outcomes with every customer, every time.

“These online certificates provide a tremendous opportunity for individuals who want to take advantage of the good paying jobs available in this industry,” says Selden.

The training programs launch March 1. For more information or to register for the program, visit cannabisstudies.tulsacc.edu.